1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal apparatus, and more particularly to a portable terminal apparatus for accessing private data for secret to be kept.
2. Description of the Related Art In the recent progress in integration technology, mounting technology and communication technology, it is now possible to access from a portable terminal apparatus represented by a portable phone to various servers on the Internet on which computer networks are connected to each other. Accordingly, the portable terminal apparatus can display, on its display unit, not only transmission and reception of electronic mails, but also data of characters and images of content data acquired from various servers. As the system for allowing content data to be acquired by such portable terminal apparatus, for example, a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) system is known.
When a transaction from the portable terminal apparatus through the network is settled, e.g., when various servers on the Internet are accessed from the portable terminal apparatus for online shopping or settlement in the WAP system, individual verification is needed. For the individual validation, hitherto, the user enters a password from a ten-key board of the portable terminal apparatus. However, for the convenience of the user, the private data stored in an IC card to be loaded in the terminal apparatus can be utilized. In the IC card, generally, the password required for individual validation is registered previously. When an access is requested, the IC card receives the password, and only when the received password coincides with the registered password, the access request is accepted. An example of such IC card is an electronic money card for managing the electronic money in which the value of currency is electronically replaces into electronic data.
In such portable terminal apparatus for acquiring various content data from the servers on the network which is an external structure, an IC card such as the electronic money card for accessing the private data for secret to be kept may be installed. In this case, extraordinary safety is required to prevent the leakage of such stored data. For example, if the portable terminal apparatus is handed over to a third party, and the individual password is stolen, it is no longer possible to prevent illegal access to the private data or illegal settlement. For the reasons, various techniques have been proposed so far in order to enhance the safety of the portable terminal apparatus.
For example, the portable terminal apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 9-223112) and entitled “Authorized user recognition apparatus and method of its use” is composed of a plurality of switches, in which a combination of switch states is registered previously. Only when the operated states of these switches are coincident with the registered combination, the password entered from a ten-key board of the portable terminal apparatus is checked. Therefore, even when the password is stolen, the combination of switch operated states is hardly known, so that the portable terminal apparatus of high safety is presented.
Also, in the portable terminal apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-30953) and entitled “Electronic wallet and electronic money interlocked security system”, the electronic money can be used only for a predetermined amount, and excessive payment is prevented.
Further, “Electronic money transaction system using multimedia portable terminal” disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-96252) teaches a technique about a portable terminal apparatus enhanced in safety by combining a retina pattern and fingerprint as individual validation data.
However, the portable terminal apparatus applied in the WAP system is exposed to risk of invasion of virus or unjust program into the portable terminal apparatus when acquiring display data for displaying on the display unit from various servers on the network which is an external structure, or a control program to be executed in the apparatus as content data. In the hitherto proposed portable terminal apparatus, since the individual validation is processed in software, there is a risk that the IC card storing private data for secret to be kept such as electronic money card is illegally accessed by the virus or unjust program, so that the data may be stolen or destroyed. Moreover, there may be a case that a third party may unlawfully access the terminal apparatus by use of a communication function in secret to carry out similar illegal deed. Such possibility is also a mental burden for the user of the portable terminal apparatus.
To prevent such illegal deeds, therefore, the portable terminal apparatus must be designed with sufficient safety. In the techniques relating to the conventionally proposed portable terminal apparatus, a heavy processing load is required in the complicated validation process using the retina and fingerprint, or the terminal apparatus is increased in size if the plurality of switches are provided. Such requirements are demerits for the portable terminal apparatus to be applied to the WAP system which is designed to reduce the terminal load as much as possible.
In conjunction with the above description, an IC card system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-15927). In this reference, the IC card system is composed of an IC card, IC card reading and writing means for reading and writing from and into the IC card, communication means for connecting with the communication network, control means for controlling the above IC card reading and writing means and the above communication means, and a server system which is connected with the above communication network. The data indicative of a specific location to be accessed in the above server system has been written in the above IC card. The above control means automatically accesses the above server system through the above communication means in accordance with the data of the location to be accessed. The above server system provides data to the end of the data service which is automatically determined based on the data to be provided, the end of the data service written in the above IC card or the end of the data service which the user specified.
Method of paying expressway charge is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-110593). In this reference, a phone in a car is used and expressway charge is paid together with communication charge of the phone. A call is carried out from the phone in the car to an expressway charge adjustment apparatus. After necessary data is sent and the call is disconnected, the call is received by a monitor provided for a pike and the expressway charge adjustment apparatus. The expressway charge adjustment apparatus transmits permission to both of the phone and the monitor at the same time based on the data. Thus, when a signature from the phone is coincident with the signature transmitted from the expressway charge adjustment apparatus, the monitor permits passage of the car. Also, the expressway charge adjustment apparatus calculates the expressway charge and requires the expressway charge together with communication charge.
Also, a method of movement of electronic property data is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,899,464. In this reference, each of first to third portable data carriers has coupling means with a portable terminal, non-volatile memory means which is rewritable, and calculation means, and has electronic property data. A first portable terminal can accept the first and second data carriers. A second portable terminal can accept the second and third data carriers, and has all amount transfer means. The first and second data carriers are connected to a portable terminal and a part or whole of electronic property data stored in the non-volatile memory means of the first data carrier is transferred to the non-volatile memory means of the second data carrier via the first portable terminal. Then, the second and third data carriers are connected with the second portable terminal, and the whole of electronic property data stored in the non-volatile memory means of the second data carrier is transferred to the non-volatile memory means of the third data carrier via the second portable terminal.